XN000022-1978-05-18 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1978

LAND REQUIRED FOR MTR EXTENSION TO TSUEN WAN

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THE SITE OF THE SEVEN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS IN SAI LAU KOK, TSUEN WAN, TO BE RESUMED UNDER THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY (LAND RESUMPTION AND RELATED PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE IS REQUIRED FOR AN INTRICATE PATTERN OF INTER-LINKING RAILS TO ENABLE TRAINS TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE AND OTHER FACILITIES IN TSUEN WAN DEPOT, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IN ORDER TO LAY OUT THESE INTER- LINKING RAILS KNOWN AS THE 'ACCESS FAN' IT WAS NECESSARY TO EXTEND THE RAILWAY LINE WESTWARDS BEYOND TSUEN WAN STATION.

+ IT IS THIS ACCESS FAN AND THE EXTENSION OF THE RUNNING LINE WHICH MAKE THE RESUMPTION OF THESE BUILDINGS UNAVOIDABLE,+ HE EXPLAINED.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WOULD BE NO BUILDING DEVELOPMENT OVER THE ACCESS FAN, THAT IS ON THE SITE ON WHICH THE BUILDINGS INVOLVED ACTUALLY STAND. THIS PART OF THE DEPOT WOULD BE FULLY UTILISED FOR RAILWAY PURPOSES ONLY.

HOWEVER, TO MAKE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMIC USE OF OTHER PARTS OF THE DEPOT LAND, DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PERMITTED ABOVE THE PORTION OF THE DEPOT TO THE EAST OF THE SITE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION,

IN ADDITION TO 4,000 FLATS, THE DEVELOPMENT WILL INCLUDE A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY SCHOOL, A COMMERCIAL AREA, A MARKET AND AN OPEN SPACE, THE LAYOUT OF THE LATTER BEING DESIGNED TO ACCORD WITH THE TIN HAU TEMPLE WHICH WILL BE PRESERVED.

COMMENTING ON SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT THE DEMOLITION OF THE SEVEN BUILDINGS WOULD BE AVOIDED IF THE DEPOT WERE TO BE RESITED FURTHER NORTH, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEPOT REQUIRED COMPARATIVELY FLAT LAND AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS TRUE THERE WAS A SIZEABLE AREA OF CROWN LAND TO THE NORTH OF THESE BUILDINGS, IT WAS UNSUITABLE FOR A RAILWAY DEPOT BECAUSE OF ITS SHAPE. IN ANY CASE, IT IS MUCH TOO SMALL, HE SAID.

J

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: +THE AREA MUST ALSO BE SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO ACCOMMODATE TSUEN WAN STATION WHICH WILL BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH TSUEN WAN, SERVING MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. IT MUST, IN ADDITION, FIT IN WITH THE PLANNED EXTENSIVE ROAD NETWORK IN THE AREA WHICH WILL PROVIDE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ROUTE TWISK AND TSUEN WAN AND, AT SOME TIME

IN THE FUTURE. BETWEEN THE NEW TUEN MUN ROAD AND THE PROPOSED NEW ROUTE 5 TO SHA TIN,+

THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY THIS ROAD NETWORK AND THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THIS PART OF TSUEN WAN, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED, MEAN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE THE WHOLE DEPOT AND STATION COMPLEX ANYWHERE ELSE, INCLUDING NORTHWARDS.

'THE SPOKESMAN